WPCNR SPORTS. By John F. Bailey. December 20, 2004: The New York-New Jersey Juggernaut has risen from the softball dead. Bill Conroy, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Pro Fastpitch league told WPCNR today from Chicago,  that John Schmitz, of Huntington, N.Y. has made arrangements to purchase the team.  

In an extensive interview with WPCNR, Conroy announced that a new owner, John Schmitz, whose background is in corporate finance, investment banking and small business finance, has agreed to purchase the team and pay a franchise fee to take over the club, and has begun signing players. He has contracted with Julie Smith, 1996 Olympic Great, to run the team.

Schmitz, reached at his office today, told WPCNR that Julie Smith, member of the 1996 U.S.A. Olympic Softball Team, will be director of softball operations for his team. Currently Schmitz said, Smith has been in touch with all the players from the 2004 champions, and is putting together a roster which he said should be intact by early January.

Ms. Smith has her work cut out for her.

He said he is negotiating to bring back The Great Scott, “The Blonde That Rules the World,” Amanda Scott and her battery mate  sister, Courtney Scott. Germaine Fairchild, Jaclyn Pasquerella, Carri Leto may be the only other Juggernauts returning.

AMANDA SCOTT in Autograph Alley after a huge win in August.

Amanda Scott Working in the Circle Against the Texas Thunder in August.

Kaci Clark, Number 2 Juggernaut Pitcher, Photos, WPCNR Sports Archive.

It will be essentially a new team, one Schmitz said, hoped to sign Olympic players as part of his roster.

Schmitz said the team will play mostly home games, under the new NPF format (see later in this story), with only three roadtrips under the new schedule and is seeking to renew arrangements with Montclair State University  (The Little Ballpark by the Railroad Track) at this time. He plans a news conference in January to introduce his players and Ms. Smith.

He is entertaining other playing options in the tri-state area, in case Montclair State and he cannot workout a mutually beneficial arrangement. He also said he is thinking about bringing back his publicity director, Jen Carlo and others who worked for the club in their Montclair lair.

Schmitz said the contests with international teams would help generate fan interest and help increase the gate. He said he is planning a media budget, and is planning to televise 6 to 8 games on the YES Network, as well as radio for the team.

Stepping to the Plate

Asked why he is buying the team, Schmitz said he was not “a big softball follower,” but came in because a professional option was “a necessary level for these girls to have something to look forward to.”

He said Smith will take care of the entire softball operation, and described her as a person who can not only evaluate talent, but who can select players who will mesh as a team.

The Plemenos Departure

The Juggernaut was relinquished by former owner Paul Plemenos after the close of the 2004 season in September, because Mr. Plemenos told WPCNR today, he could not see sustaining the losses his team had suffered in 2004 on an ongoing basis.

Because the league, on its own, not Mr. Plemenos’ decision  released all Juggernaut players from their contracts when Plemenos abdicated the team, according to two Juggernaut players WPCNR has interviewed, the Champions roster has been decimated.

Other NPF clubs have signed Juggernaut greats to their rosters.

A Great Week for the NPF

 The National Pro Fastpitch league under its new Chief Executive Officer, Bill Conroy, has had a great week.

On Friday in the Windy City, Conroy’s NPF new Chicago Bandits signed the Ponytailed Powerhouse, Jenny Finch, USA Olympic standout to a long term contract. Read the story on the Chicago Sun Times website. Some seven networks covered the signing, according to Mr. Conroy.

Conroy also found Mr. Schmitz to take over from Paul Plemenos for its  2004 Champions, the New York-New Jersey Juggernaut franchise.

Conroy has in addition, designed and announced a new league format that will bring international teams in to compete with NPF Teams in games that count.

Making up with USA/ASA Softball.

Conroy added that one of the first things he had to do was establish a working relationship with USA/ASA Softball to heal the rift that had developed between the NPF league and the amateur organization fighting over players. (The U.SA./A.S.A. sponsors the U.S.A. Olympic team.)

Bringing in international teams to play NPF teams is the the league’s way of promoting both NPF credibility and the continuing development of U.S. Olympic and international players simultaneously, Conroy indicated.

Conroy added that seeing New York beating up on Akron was not the same as seeing say New York playing Team U.S.A., or Team Japan, and he hoped that the league would build attendance through the international team drawing power.

Looking for more corporate sponsors.

Conroy said his top priority was to bring in more corporate sponsors, perhaps through naming rights to the league, and other forms of sponsorship. Previously corporate sponsors of the league had donated equipment only. The Bandit owner and league CEO said he was also seeking more cooperation with Major League baseball, the league development partner.

Shorter Schedule Featuring International Competition that Counts.

In the new league format, Conroy said, each of the 7 NPF teams will play 48 games, 24 games against each other and 24 games against international teams. The International games will not be exhibition games because results of say the Bandits against Team Japan, will  count in the league standings, he said. Schmitz said he expects the Juggernaut to play Team USA, the China Taiwan Team, and Team Japan with others to be announced.

The Omaha Comets, signed to join the league, will not play in 2005, but will begin play in 2006, Conroy said.

The schedule will be unbalanced with the NPF teams not playing an equal amount of home and away games with the founding league teams.

Less Schedule. Less Travel.

Conroy said the team was playing less games at request of the players.  He said the travel grind of six games a week wore the players down because as Conroy put it, “travel conditions were not first rate.”

Another stabilizing factor in place is the league has instituted a $100,000 payroll salary cap per team.  Some players can be paid more than others, with the average salary, with 12 players per team being paid an average of $8,000 for the 10 week season, with some players making more, others making less.